Current access control systems may electronically monitor and control access at an entryway to a secure area using, for example, a reader for reading an access card. Additionally, however, the secure area controlled by the access control system may include one or more entryways having a mechanical lock. For example, doors may have both mechanical security, e.g., a lock, and electronic access control, in this case, the mechanical lock mechanism takes precedence over the access control logic. Additionally, the doors having a lock may be opened by unlocking the lock using a typical door key, or alternatively a master key which overrides the access control system. Alternative access control systems and security systems may include electronically activated mechanical locks. Such control systems may also include multiple entryways, for example, on a floor of a building or the entire building, for example, as shown in commonly-owned, and co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. (11/782,557), the entire contents and disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
A shortcoming of such systems is that the access control system is not able to monitor when the door is opened by a key. Further, the access control system is not able to identify who is passing through the doorway. If the system has a door position switch, the access control system will have only a record of the door opening, but not an identity and record of the key which opened the lock mechanically. In an access control system which has a door position switch, the door opening event will appear as a forced entry. Another shortcoming of such systems is that a person who is authorized to enter and uses the key entry, either a typical key or a master key, will trigger the forced entry alarm. The system does not have the ability to authenticate and identify the access using one or more keys. This situation is disadvantageous since the accuracy of the access control system is compromised due to the unidentified entry.
It would therefore be desirable to provide a method and access control system utilizing the method for identifying a key used in a door lock. It would further be desirable for the method and access control system to determine if action is required based on the key identification. It would also be desirable for the method and access control system to identify the key and electronically allow access to a secure area by remotely opening a door based on the key identification.